Tee joseph ceeameb and joseph doee leach



No Model.)

W. J. GRBAMIBR 85 J. D. LEAOH. LIFE PEESERVER.

No. 869,319. Patented Sept. 6, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

XVALTER JOSEPH GREAMER AND JOSEPH DORE LEAGH, OF PENOBSCOT,

MAINE.

LlFE-PRESERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 369,319, dated September 6, 1887.

Serial No. 236,058. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER Josnri-r CREAMER and Jossrn Donn LEACH, of Penobscot, in the county of Hancock, of the State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Life-Preservcrs; and we do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top view of a life-preserver embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the coupling forjoining the inflation tube to the body of the life-preserver. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the mouthpiece of such inflation-tube.

The nature of our invention is defined in the claim hereinafter presented.

The body A of the life-preserver is a hollow annulus made of india-rubber or other suitable waterproof material or fabric, it being of a size to encompass a persons body at his breast and under the armpits. It has extending from opposite parts of it two loops, B B, to receive a strap or straps to go over the shoulders of the person and to hold the life-preserver suspended therefrom. Besides such loops there is a third loop, F, to the body, such loop being arranged near to one of the loops B.

C denotes one inflation-tube, which, when the life-preserve! is not in use, is extended through the loop F. This inflationtube, at one end of it, has a screw-coupling, D, for connecting it with the body A, such coupling having within ita valve, a, to open downward from a seat, 1). Furthermore, there is at the other or outer end of the inflation-tube a mouth-piece, E, provided with a screw-cap, c, for closing it. This cap is to be screwed down to its bearing only when the life-preserver is in an inflated state, the cap-at other times being unscrewed far enough to allow of air being blown by a person into the tube. The cap is a safeguard in case of leakage of the coupling. The loop F is or should be so made that the mouthpiece can be inserted in or withdrawn from it without the tubebeing required to be uncoupled, the loop by its inherent elasticity holding the tube within it under other cireumst-ances.

The lifeprcserver is intended to be worn by a person without being inflated, except when the person is in danger of being thrown into the sea, or taking to the water in order to save his life, in which case he can pull the inflation-tube out of the elastic loop and introduce the cap into his mouth and inflate the lifepreserver. The tube is to be uncoupled only for the purpose of allowing air to escape from the body of the article.

Our object is to furnish persons exposed to the dangers of the sea with a light and flexible life-pr-eservcr-such as may be conveniently worn about their bodies-while such persons may be at work, and in case of danger can be easily inflated, even when the party wearing it may be in the water, the elastic loop keeping the inflationtube close up to the body of the life-preserver, so as not to be liable to become accidentallyinjured when the tube is not in use for inflating it.

It is important to have the elastic loop F for supporting the tube; otherwise it-by hanging from the body without such sup1. ort-would be in the way of the wearer and be liable to become caught against an object and broken or injured.

We do not claim, broadly, a life-prcscrver consisting of a hollow ring having straps to support it and a mouth-piece or tube for inflating it.

\Ve (llitllll- The life-preservcr as described, composed of the hollow annulus A, the loops B B, elastic loop F, and the long inflation-tube G, the latter being not only coupled to the body by means of a coupling having a valve, as described, but extended through the loop F and provided with the mouthpiece E, all being arranged and for use as set forth.

WALTER- JOSEPH CREAMER. JOSEPH DORE LEAGH. Witnesses:

SEWALL Lnaon, ALBERT E. VARNUM. 

